Image processing apparatus and method

1. An image processing apparatus comprising: a) an input unit, arranged to input background object data, wherein the background object data is image data in a picture which remains after removing foreground object data from the picture, the removal producing a missing portion in the picture corresponding to the removed foreground object data; and b) an interpolating unit, arranged to generate background object data of the missing portion corresponding to the foreground object data using background object data of another picture, and to interpolate the missing portion of the input picture with the generated background object data.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said interpolating unit comprises: a) a dividing unit, arranged to divide the background object data into a plurality of blocks; b) a deriving unit, arranged to derive as a target block a block containing the missing portion from the blocks divided by said dividing unit; c) a detecting unit, arranged to detect a motion of surrounding blocks near the target block by using image data of another picture, and generate a detection result as motion information; and d) a generating unit, arranged to generate image data of the missing portion of the target block in accordance with the motion information.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said interpolating unit is arranged to interpolate the missing portion of the input picture repeatedly so that in a case where the interpolated picture still includes a missing portion, said interpolating unit changes the other picture to be used for the interpolation in order to interpolate the missing portion still included in the interpolated picture.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the surrounding blocks are blocks which do not contain the missing portion.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said detecting unit detects a motion of each surrounding block having the missing portion, by masking the missing portion and using data other than the missing portion.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the motion information is a motion vector, and said detecting unit calculates a square sum of differences of respective pixels between each surrounding block and a block of the other picture.

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said detecting unit calculates the motion vector by using a square sum value in excess of a predetermined threshold value.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said generating unit selects one of a plurality of motion information pieces detected from a plurality of surrounding blocks, and generates image data of the missing portion of the target block in accordance with the selected motion information.

9. An apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said generating unit selects one of a plurality of motion information pieces detected from a plurality of surrounding blocks, in accordance with decision by majority, and generates image data of the missing portion of the target block in accordance with the selected motion information.

10. An apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein said generating unit weights a plurality of motion information pieces detected from a plurality of surrounding blocks, calculates one motion information piece from a plurality of weighted motion vectors, and generates image data of the missing portion of the target block in accordance with the calculated motion information piece.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the weighting is performed in accordance with a relative distance between the target block and each surrounding block.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the weighting is performed in accordance with a square sum of differences obtained when the motion vector is calculated.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a first encoding unit, arranged to encode the background object data processed by said interpolating unit.

14. An image processing apparatus comprising: a) an input unit, arranged to input image data of a picture; b) a separating unit, arranged to separate the image data input by said input unit into foreground object data and background object data; c) an interpolating unit, arranged to generate background object data of the missing portion corresponding to the separated foreground object data using background object data of another picture, and to interpolate the missing portion of the picture with the generated background object data; d) a first encoding unit, arranged to encode the picture interpolated by said interpolating unit; and e) a second encoding unit, arranged to encode the foreground object data.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a multiplexing unit, arranged to multiplex the background object data encoded by said first encoding unit and the foreground object data encoded by said second encoding unit.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein said interpolating unit comprises a dividing unit, arranged to divide the background object data into a plurality of blocks, a deriving unit, arranged to derive as a target block a block having the missing portion from the plurality of blocks, and derive surrounding blocks of the target blocks, and a motion vector detecting unit, arranged to detect a motion vector of each surrounding block, wherein data in the missing portion is interpolated in accordance with a detection result of said motion vector detecting unit.

17. An image processing method comprising the steps of: a) inputting background object data, wherein the background object data is image data in a picture which remains after removing foreground object data from the picture, the removal producing a missing portion in the picture corresponding to the removed foreground object data; and b) generating interpolated background object data of the missing portion corresponding to the foreground object data using background object data of another picture, and interpolating the missing portion of the input picture with the generated background object data.

18. An image processing method comprising the steps of: a) inputting image data of a picture; b) separating the input image data into foreground object data and background object data; c) generating interpolated background object data of the missing portion corresponding to the separated foreground object data using the background object data of another picture, and interpolating the missing portion of the picture with the generated background object data; d) encoding the interpolated picture using a first encoding unit; and e) encoding the foreground object data using a second encoding unit.

19. A method according to claim 17 , wherein said interpolating step includes repeatedly interpolating the missing portion of the input picture so that in a case where the interpolated picture still includes a missing portion, that other picture to be used for the interpolation is changed to interpolate the missing portion still included in the interpolated picture.

20. An apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a second encoding unit, arranged to encode the foreground object data separated by said separating unit.

21. An apparatus according to claim 20 , further comprising a multiplexing unit, arranged to multiplex the background object data encoded by said first encoding unit and the foreground object data encoded by said second encoding unit.